New Grade Separation For Tulare

Tulare City Council approved a contract to build the new Bardsley rail underpass for $10.7 million to Clovis-based Emmett’s Excavation.The low bid was $1 million less than the engineer’s estimate.That means both grade separations (Cartmill was the other one) came in a total of around $3.2 million less than Measure R budgeted says city engineer Mike Whitlock.The city will ask TCAG if that $3.2 million can be applied to the new Cartmill interchange says Whitlock.The city is in final negotiations with property owners around the interchange with the goal being to “control the right of way by the end of this year.” The new Bardsley tunnel will begin construction in late February or early March. Whitlock says they opted for an underpass because there was no room for a bridge.